NEIL Robertson said he is in a confident mood ahead of his Betfred World Championship campaign.

The Cambridge-based Australian world no 9 has put a difficult end to 2016, including surrendering his UK Championship title with a first round exit, behind him with three quarter-final appearances since the turn of the year.

So far this year he has finished in the last eight of the 2017 Players Championship, Gibraltar Open and World Grand Prix, in the last 32 in the German Masters and Gibraltar Open as well as making it to the last 64 in the Welsh Open.

He also overcame Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-1 in the last 16 of the World Grand Prix and achieved a break of 143 in the Welsh Open.

And going into the World Championships at the Crucible he believes he could not have done any more in preparation ahead of his clash with Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham, the former world under-21 champion.

“I have had a really good few weeks practice by choosing not to go to China (to compete in the China Open held in March),” said Robertson, who trains at WT’s in Cambridge.

“Practice is going really well and it’s nice to be going knowing I couldn’t have done any more in preparation so I’m going in with confidence.

“This is the best run of form I have had going into the World Championships. The last few events I have been doing well and made it to a few quarter-finals.

“The last few years the form hasn’t been there, and I’ve been unlucky not to go further in a few of those competitions this year but the guys I’ve been against have been playing out of their skins against me.”

Robertson, who won the competition in 2010, has spoken in the past about his fondness of certain venues and crowds and certainly the World Championship seems like a competition that is set-up is to his liking.

As well as being held at the legendary Crucible, there is a two-table set-up until the semi-finals when it goes down to just the one table and is best of 19 frames.

And while Robertson said that the increased quality of the players has made it more competitive – there has been five different winners in the past 10 years – he conceded that going into the finals as one of the favourites he would be disappointed not to come away with the victory.

“The Crucible is a very unique place,” he said. “There’s a real buzz about Sheffield, the city is the crazy around the World Championship and it’s the place you want to play.

“Even with the two table set-up the atmosphere is good, but when you get down to one it’s really special.

“It gives you fewer excuses to play over 19 frames. It’s not certain you will win against lower ranked players as the lower eight are simply better now but it’s still better to play the longer matches.

“Obviously I’m one of the favourites so it’s a tough one as even if I do make the semis or the final it is still not good enough, I want to win the tournament.”